


System Instability ^

by Cyane



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Connor Deserves Happiness, Detroit: Become Human Spoilers, Elijah Kamski Being an Asshole, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Multi, Protective Hank Anderson, Rated for Hank's Language, but it's fine I guess, hank realizes connor is freaked the fuck out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 08:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15481500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyane/pseuds/Cyane
Summary: "Just- calm down, alright? Christ. Even if youarea deviant--""I amnot a deviant," Connor practically snarled.





	System Instability ^

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have like 2 major fics I should be working on but I got sucked into the h:bh fandom and there is no escape  
> note: this takes place right after the "Connor Is Traumatized" segment of the game, and just some little AU filler extras

"You okay?"

Connor shifted slightly at the broken silence in a barely-noticeable flinch. He hadn't said a word since they'd left the Stratford Tower. After a second of contemplation, Connor gave a stiff nod. One of his hands was rolling the damn quarter along his knuckles.  
"I am functioning properly," he said quietly. 

Hank rolled his eyes. "That's not what I asked, you fuckin' asshole."

The android turned fully to face him, jaw clenching. "I do not understand how this pertains to our investigation, Lieutenant."

"Really?" Hank scowled, keeping his eyes focused on the road even as his hands tightened around the wheel. The damn android, making him feel things. "I'd say what happened back there was pretty fuckin' _pertaining_ to our investigation. So what's going on up in that plastic head of yours?"

Connor's eyes flicked back towards the windshield, where the snow billowed up and around the car. He said nothing.

"You said you were scared." Hank continued, pushing the subject. "I don't see that as a bad thing. It was a natural--"

"Androids are _machines_ ," Connor interrupted sharply. Hank looked at him in surprise, because that tone sure as hell didn't sound like Connor's usual levels of calm. In fact, Connor's eyes were wide, staring fixedly at the window, and the coin was now being held tightly in a clenched fist. "It's not _'natural'_ for machines to feel anything, Lieutenant. I am a machine."

It sounded, to Hank, like Connor was trying to convince himself just as much. 

"You didn't kill those two girls back at the Eden club." Hank pointed out.

"It wasn't--"

"You chose to save me from falling off that building instead of chasing that deviant. We coulda' caught him."

Connor's lips flattened into a thin, hard line. "I was not entirely certain you would survive."

It was, to a degree, incredibly reassuring. To have an android who didn't see him as a statistic, and chose not to risk him on behalf of an investigation. It was hard to believe a word of the bullshit Connor spouted when Hank had already seen with his own two eyes what the android was capable of. 

They pulled up to Kamski's place and Hank huffed. It seemed the conversation was over. Before Hank could get in another word, his phone went off and he let out a noise of frustration before climbing out of the car and answering, leaving Connor to mull things over in the car.

* * *

It didn't take long for Hank to realize that he hated Elijah Kamski. Even before he pulled out the gun and handed it to Connor, he was clearly a prick. But after he gave Connor the 'Kamski Test', whatever sadistic manipulative bullshit it was, Hank decided he loathed the man with a passion.

Seeing Connor's internal conflict was more than hard to watch. His eyes flickered around as Kamski pressed the gun into his hand and aimed it towards Chloe. His LED flickered an uncertain yellow as Kamski stepped back and Hank made several interjections. 

"Pull the trigger," Kamski hissed, grabbing Connor by the shoulder as he leaned in. 

Feeling his own fury rise at the gesture and the words, Hank turned back. "Connor, _don't_."

Both Kamski and Hank watched in tense silence as Connor hesitated. And then, slowly, retracted the gun and held it back out for Kamski to take without taking his own eyes off of the Chloe kneeling in front of him. 

Something akin to pride-- and surprise, of course-- flooded Hank.

"Fascinating," Kamski murmured, taking the gun back. "CyberLife's last chance to save humanity... is itself a deviant."

Despite the fact that Connor was an android, he looked like he was holding his breath as he looked down into the other android's eyes-- frozen, shocked at his own actions. Hank hadn't thought about it that way before; the deviant hunter becoming deviant himself. He hadn't truly realized that for Connor to be empathetic, like Hank had been hoping, it meant deviance. 

Deviance, which fundamentally went against everything they had been working towards. 

"I'm... I"m not a deviant," Connor corrected stubbornly. But the fear was there, and it was enough.

 _What if we're on the wrong side?_ Hank suddenly thought. The very thought felt dangerous.

* * *

"Why didn't you shoot?"

Connor swung around, tension practically fuming from every nonexistent muscle in his body. "I just saw that girl's eyes... and I _couldn't_. That's all."

"You're always saying you'd do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go." Hank didn't mean for it to come out as an accusation, but the moment the sentence left his mouth, and Connor spun around again, he knew it had been received as such.

"Yeah, I know what I should've done, I told you, I couldn't!" Connor's face twisted. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"Well... maybe you did the right thing," Hank said after a moment. He could feel the android's eyes burning into his back as he walked back to the car. After a few moments, right when Hank was about to say 'fuck it' and start bitching about Connor hurrying his ass up, Connor continued and climbed into shotgun. 

They drove in silence for a while, without even Knights of the Black Death to have in the background, and finally Connor seemed to relax, sagging into the seat. 

"Lieutenant?" He asked quietly. 

"What is it, kid?"

Connor was fidgeting with his coin again. "I can't _be_ scared."

Hank openly rolled his eyes. "Cut the bullshit, Connor. You said it yourself. Besides, I can tell. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"No... that's not what I meant. I'm... I _am_ scared, but I can't... I _shouldn't_ be. I'm not designed to be. I'm an android, and- only deviants feel things like that." Hank remained silent, letting Connor get it all out. "I'm not a deviant," Connor insisted. "I'm _not_."

There was a distinct tremble in his voice, though, and it made Hank turn and look at him anyway. Connor's hands were shaking, and he looked just as confused as Hank felt. He held the quarter between his thumb and index fingers, holding it up slightly to examine it. 

"...What's your stress level at, Connor?" 

Connor gave that little shift- a flinch, really- again and stared up at him. "Sixty-one percent, Lieutenant."

Hank remembered the interrogation, and what Connor had said about androids. If their stress level was too high, they'd self destruct. Deviant or no, Connor was obviously overwhelmed after all of the events that had gone on during the day, and 61% was far too high for comfort. 

"Just- calm down, alright? Christ. Even if you _are_ a deviant--"

"I am _not a deviant_ ," Connor practically snarled. 

They both froze at the outburst. As he visibly calmed himself, Hank pulled off to the side of the road. 

"If I was found to be a deviant," Connor said slowly, calmly, "I would be taken back to CyberLife, disassembled, deactivated... they'd want to find out why I failed. As I would be if this investigation is failed."

 _"But are you scared to die, Connor?"_ Hank stared at his partner for a long moment. When he had asked the question before, Connor hadn't seemed too fazed. But if there was a looming threat of being deactivated... of being... killed... then perhaps that was why Connor had clung to his programming. 

"Not that it makes a difference," Connor quickly added on. "As my memories would be transferred onto the next model. There is no logical reason to be afraid."

"Alright, Spock, dial it down. You've been working on this investigation _for_ CyberLife, right? You're expensive to replace, and it's not like coming back in a new model is fullproof either. Besides, I fuckin' hate it. You've got no right to fucking die every two minutes and come back like nothing's happened."

They sat in silence.

"We should focus on the investigation," Connor finally said. The coin was back, balancing on his knuckles, and the trembling had faded away. They drove back to the precinct without saying another word, both deep in thought. 

Hank felt his own stress levels rising, because damn it all if he didn't want Connor to live.

**Author's Note:**

> and then they go back to the precinct and hank busts perkins' ass amirite
> 
> I already know I used too many italics god I'm actually so sorry


End file.
